RSPO membership boosted as India ups interest in sustainable palm oil

The number of Indian members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has increased over five times in the last year thanks to?greater interest in sustainable palm oil for consumer products, including cosmetics.

India is the world's largest importer and consumer of palm oil and escalating interest towards the sustainable product has been reflected by the country's substantial increase in membership in the international multi stakeholder organization.

Palm oil, palm kernel oil and their derivatives are present in about 70 per cent of cosmetic and personal care products and with global demand fuelling unsustainable growth of the palm industry over the past decade, the RSPO hopes this new phase will transform the market.

Positive trend

"We are very pleased to see this positive trend. India is a critical market with a global foot print and as a significant global economy it has immense influence to drive market transformation across the world,? says Secretary-General Darrel Webber.

"Multinationals with Indian footprints like Hindustan Unilever? have played a critical role by leading this transformation to sustainable palm oil as well as inspiring and influencing their Indian counterparts who are now showing intent towards adapting to sustainable practices.?

?In the domestic market, early members like Godrej Industries ? are playing a significant role in pioneering this wave of change towards sustainable practices,? he continues.

Making the move

Considering the current barriers and challenges in a price sensitive market like India, this positive development signifies the rising consciences and awareness on the need for the industry to move towards sustainable palm oil.

To keep up with the momentum towards market transformations, RSPO is working closely with global organizations like World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), to highlight the benefits and urgency for the Indian industry to respond to the need to move towards Sustainable Palm Oil.

RSPO has also partnered with The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) to drive policy change towards procurement of SPO by Indian players so as to minimize the damage to the ecology for the future progenies across the world.

Source: http://www.cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/Market-Trends/RSPO-membership-boosted-as-India-ups-interest-in-sustainable-palm-oil?utm_source=RSS_text_news&utm_medium=RSS+feed&utm_campaign=RSS+Text+News

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Building the connections: Self-directed support | IRISS - The Institute ...

IRISS is a partner in an event organised by the ALLIANCE, Care and Support Providers Scotland, Self-Directed Support Scotland, Lothian Centre for Independent Living, Independent Living in Scotland and the Joint Improvement Team, to explore the future of self-directed support within an integrated health and social care system.

The one-day event aims to start a dialogue between individuals, the third sector, statutory agencies and the Scottish Government on the connection between self-directed support and an integrated health and social care system. It will focus on identifying key actions to progress the personalisation agenda for health and social care services and self-directed support.

Aims of event:

• To stimulate dialogue on the relationship between self-directed support and person-centred health agendas within the framework of greater integration of health and social care
• To seek the views of people who are disabled or with long term conditions on their experiences of using self-directed support to achieve health and social care outcomes
• To create an open space for a broad range of stakeholders to discuss complex issues, questions, barriers and opportunities on the integration of self-directed health and social care
• To establish key messages to inform the future of the self-directed support and person-centred agendas to improve the lives of people who use services.

The event will take place on Tuesday 5 March from 9.00am to 4.30pm in Edinburgh.?Further information and booking is available on the event website.

Source: http://www.iriss.org.uk/news/building-connections-self-directed-support

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Two Autistic Children Awarded Millions by Vaccine Court

Deny, deny, deny.

This is the favored approach the government and its loyal pundits in mainstream media take when it comes to the issue of whether vaccines cause autism.

Newspaper and magazine headlines and TV talking heads repeat the anthem ad nauseum that no link between vaccines and autism has been found and that parents need not be concerned about the uneducated, nonscientific ?rumors? swirling on the internet that claim otherwise.

You have to wonder how the pro-vaccine lobby with its head hopelessly stuck in the sand is going to squelch this news.

Just days ago, the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) also known as ?vaccine court? awarded millions of dollars to two children who rapidly regressed and became autistic after a round of routine childhood vaccinations.

The first case involved a child named Emily who suffered a severe vaccine reaction to DTaP at 15 months old. MMR, HiB and Prevnar were also given at that time.

The second case involved 10 year old Ryan Mojabi of California in which the government admitted that the MMR vaccine caused the brain encephalopathy or brain dysfunction Ryan suffered within five to fifteen days of receiving the shot. ?Encephalopathy is considered a ?vaccine table? injury, in other words, a compensable adverse reaction to vaccination.

Likely key to the prosecution was the testimony of family, friends, and neighbors of the children who testified under oath that the children were normal and perhaps even advanced for their age before autism took hold after routine immunizations.

Seizures, spiking fevers, a measles like rash of red spots all over the body and ultimately brain encephalopathy were reported following the shots. ?The witnesses said that the children never fully recovered from the adverse vaccine reactions they experienced, losing eye contact, language, and social skills ? all hallmark symptoms of autism.

These are not the first cases of autistic children receiving compensation from vaccine court.

In two other cases (Polling and Banks), the government conceded that encephalopathy triggered after immunization did result in permanent brain injury and ultimately autism.

How Much Longer Can the Obvious Be Denied?

Very, very quietly and without any media attention to the matter, the cases keep piling up of vaccine court awarding compensation for children who became autistic after routine vaccination.

Vaccination proponents will no doubt argue that the autism that resulted was unrelated to the post immunization encephalopathy the children suffered which is the vaccine table injury that permitted the compensation to be awarded.

Those with any common sense will note that the encephalopathy or brain dysfunction suffered from the immunizations no doubt played a huge role and was most likely a key factor in the rapid, regressive autism these children experienced.

No matter whether you are for or against vaccination, one thing can be agreed upon: ?childhood vaccinations can and do indeed result in brain encephalopathy and permanent brain damage.

Whether or not this vaccine induced brain damage is called autism or not is nothing but a game of semantics.

Autism is as autism does.

?

Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist

Sources: ?Vaccine Court Awards Millions to Two Children with Autism

Tell Congress That Vaccine Court Has Ruled CA Boy has Autism from MMR

Mojabi v. Department of Health and Human Services Settlement Documents

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Source: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/two-autistic-children-awarded-millions-by-vaccine-court/

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UPDATE 2-Golf-McIlroy says Nike deal will improve his game

Mon Jan 14, 2013 5:20pm GMT

(Adds quotes, details)

By Matt Smith

ABU DHABI Jan 14 (Reuters) - World number one golfer Rory McIlroy praised the clubs of his new sponsor Nike on Monday saying he was hitting the ball further than ever after agreeing a multi-year sponsorship deal with the U.S. sportswear firm.

Although commercial terms were not disclosed, media reports say the agreement with the Northern Irishman unveiled on Monday is worth as much as $250 million over 10 years, one of the most lucrative in global sports as Nike moves on after dropping disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong last year.

McIlroy, 23, was previously sponsored by golf brand Titleist and other golfers have struggled to replicate their earlier success after switching to a new equipment provider. However, McIlroy was full of confidence ahead of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship which starts on Thursday.

"The new driver that I will play with this week is awesome," he told a news conference to announce his sponsorship. "As soon as I hit it I knew it was going in the bag straight away. I'm hitting it further - I thought I was hitting it far before, but this is really taking it to a new level."

The U.S. PGA champion visited Nike's research and development facility in Fort Worth, Texas, in late 2012 to try out his new clubs and balls and has continued to practice over Christmas and New Year. He said the sponsorship deal was about improving his game rather than personal riches.

"I play for titles, I don't play for money...If at the end of 2013 I haven't won a major I will be disappointed," said McIlroy, adding the new nike balls were more more stable in the wind and he was now driving the ball at about 180 miles (290 kms) an hour.

The twice major winner topped the tournament earnings lists in both the United States and Europe last year.

Nike is also a long-time sponsor of world number two Tiger Woods, standing by the U.S. golfer in 2009 despite the bad publicity he suffered when a series of extra-marital affairs came to light.

A new Nike TV commercial featuring the two golfers was shown for the first time at a news conference in Abu Dhabi where Nike officially confirmed it had recruited McIlroy - one of the worst kept secrets in sport.

"There is still some equity (value) in the Woods' brand. McIlroy, rather than being a replacement, is the heir apparent," said Simon Chadwick, professor of sport business strategy at England's Coventry University.

"In golf and cycling they built much of their business on the back of two individuals. They needed to move quickly and decisively to make a big signing and with McIlroy that is what they have done."

Golf provides 3-4 percent of Nike's total revenue, Cindy Davis, Nike Golf president, told Reuters.

Under the deal, McIlroy will use the company's clubs and balls and wear its clothing with the familiar swoosh logo.

McIlroy is part of a high-profile sporting couple with former world women's tennis number one Caroline Wozniacki.

The agreement with Nike has not been accepted by all of McIlroy's previous sponsors.

Sunglasses maker Oakley has begun legal action to try to retain its sponsorship deal with McIlroy, saying it had the right to match any improved agreement with another company. (Reporting by Matt Smith in Abu Dhabi,; writing by Keith Weir in London, editing by Mark Meadows and John Mehaffey)

Source: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/01/14/golf-mcilroy-nike-idUKL4N0AJ7H920130114?feedType=RSS&feedName=golfNews

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Lindsay Lohan Compares Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner To Michael Lohan and His Girlfriend on Twitter

Lindsay Lohan is insane. Seriously. She belongs in a crazy person home for as long as possible. After missing out on the shine of the Golden Globe Awards, La Lohan decided to take to Twitter to voice her oh-so-eloquent opinion on Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner. In this tweet, Lohan wrote, ?Ben Affleck!! Yay! So smart and classic. He and Jen Garner remind me of?@mikelohan?and his wonderful girlfriend.? Is she serious right now? How, in all that is holy, can her father, Michael Lohan, and his girlfriend, remind her of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner?

Firstly, nothing about Michael Lohan is classy. Secondly, did Lindsay down the Tequila again? And lastly, who even cares what Lindsay has to say about the movie industry? Last time we checked, Lindsay was still falling apart one scene at a time. Only recently, Lindsay?s co-star in The Canyons ? porn star James Deen ? opened up about his working experience with the living dummy that is Lindsay. He loves her, even though she swore at him and told him to ?do his f***ing job? ? maybe that?s how world famous porn stars operate, you know?

Ultimately, Lindsay is ripping apart at the seams like a ragdoll. Her acting career is, so to say,? over, her personal life is in more shambles than a homeless woman at a haunted house, and her family is as torn apart as an overweight kid at a bully gathering. Perhaps Lindsay Lohan should be introduced to Taylor Swift? (Hey! They?re single and ready to mingle!) They are both useless tabloid archetypes in the entertainment industry, so no one would really care what happens to them in the long run.

Oh joy (read sarcasm), we can?t wait to see Lindsay?s intelligent tweets during Oscar night ? the one place where Lindsay will never, ever, be seen at.

Source: http://www.celebdirtylaundry.com/2013/lindsay-lohan-compares-ben-affleck-jennifer-garner-father-michael-lohan-twitter-golden-globe-0114/

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iPhone 5 Users Are 'Hungriest' Data Consumers

Are you hungry for some data? According to a new report from Arieso, iPhone 5 owners are the "hungriest" data consumers, though Samsung Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II owners aren't exactly conserving their bandwidth.

Overall, smartphone users are now consuming more data than tablet owners, which Arieso said is a first. Among the top 10 devices used by the biggest data hogs, six were smartphones, three were tablets, and one was a "phablet."

Overall, Arieso studied 125 devices, with the iPhone 5 landing at No. 1. Those with the iPhone 5 eat up four times as much data as their iPhone 3G-toting counterparts and 50 percent more than iPhone 4S users.

But Samsung Galaxy S III users also generate - upload vs. download - nearly four times the amount of data than iPhone 3G users. On uplink data, the iPhone 5 landed at No. 3 behind the Galaxy S III and Note II. Meanwhile, Samsung Tab 2 10.1 users consumed 20 percent more data than iPad users, Arieso found.

"This is pretty counterintuitive, but it seems the capabilities of the newest smartphones ? not tablets - are unleashing even greater user demand. Once you move away from raw consumption statistics, the most remarkable finding is the way in which people use smartphones and tablets," study author and Arieso CTO, Dr. Michael Flanagan, said in a statement. "Regardless of device type and operating system, there is very little variation in the usage 'signature' between smartphone users and between tablet users. From this we discover that voice-capable 'phablets' ? like the Samsung Galaxy Note II - are currently being used like smartphones, not tablets. If you can use it to make a phone call, the 'phablet' won't be much like a tablet at all."

Not surprisingly, data-hungry users are increasingly moving to 4G LTE networks. Last year, 1 percent of users consumed 50 percent of the downlink data on 3G/UMTS networks. This year, 1 percent consumed 40 percent as more people moved to LTE, particularly with dongles.

"The region we studied this year has recently launched LTE, and we're already seeing extreme users ? especially those with dongles ? starting to flock to 4G," said Flanagan.

Arieso pulled its data from an unnamed "tier-one European operator," but the firm said its stats are relevant to carriers worldwide "because relative consumption between device users remains constant between geographies."

The first 4G network in the U.K. recently went live via Everything Everywhere. In the U.S., Verizon is on track to complete the rollout of its 4G LTE network later this year, while AT&T and Sprint are making gains with their networks. T-Mobile is expected to start a 4G LTE rollout this year.

This is the third annual data consumption report from Arieso. In 2012, the company found that iPhone 4S users consumed three times as much data as those on the iPhone 3G and twice as much as those on the iPhone 4. Flanagan suggested that Siri might be to blame, but later clarified that the iPhone's voice-activated system was not entirely at fault.

For more from Chloe, follow her on Twitter @ChloeAlbanesius.

Source: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2414254,00.asp?kc=PCRSS05039TX1K0000762

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China pollution levels deemed hazardous amid public outcry

Beijing roads were cleared of traffic Monday in an emergency response to hazardously high pollution levels there, Bloomberg reported, part of a severe environmental crisis seeing fierce public backlash.?

Pollution levels in Beijing reached their worst levels ever recorded over the weekend, said the Los Angeles Times.

The heavy smog prompted panicked headlines, like, ?How can we get out of this suffocating siege of pollution?? from the ruling party's People's Daily, according to Reuters.?

BBC News said the issue had "dominated" social media platforms in China, with the nation's Global Times tabloid demanding that the government "publish truthful environmental data to the public."?

The New York Times on Sunday cited residents describing the air pollution in Beijing as ?postapocalyptic,? ?terrifying? and ?beyond belief," while hospitals are reportedly filling up with patients sickened by pollution, said Bloomberg.?

Extended exposure to poor air quality can cause severe cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses.

Officials cited by Bloomberg said the smog, which has coated the capital for three days now, is expected to last through Jan. 16.

The air quality level in the Chinese capital reached 755 over the weekend ? meaning so much was floating around that air matter size had grown to 2.5 micrometers in diameter, according to Reuters. The World Health Organization considers a figure higher than 300 a hazard to health.?

The index was at 500 as of early Monday, said Bloomberg, but BBC cited Chinese officials as saying it had dropped to 350.?

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/china/130114/china-pollution-levels-deemed-hazardous-amid-public-

Source: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/china/130114/china-pollution-levels-deemed-hazardous-amid-public-

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